"Israel said Sunday its military was conducting a "large-scale operation" to locate the last hostage in Gaza, as Washington and other mediators pressure Israel and Hamas to move into the next phase of their ceasefire. The statement came as Israel's Cabinet met to discuss the possibility of opening Gaza's key Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and a day after top U.S. envoys met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about next steps."
"The return of the remaining hostage, Ran Gvili, has been widely seen as removing the remaining obstacle to moving ahead with opening the Rafah crossing and proceeding with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire's second phase. Late Sunday, Netanyahu's office in a statement said: "Upon completion of this operations, and in accordance with what has been agreed upon with the United States, Israel will open the Rafah crossing.""
"Israel's military said it was searching a cemetery in northern Gaza near the Yellow Line, which marks off Israeli-controlled parts of the territory. Separately, an Israeli military official said Gvili may have been buried in the Shijaiya-Tuffah area of Gaza City, and that rabbis and dental experts were on the ground with specialized search teams. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing an operation still under way."
Israel is conducting a large-scale operation to locate Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage in Gaza. The military reported searches in a northern Gaza cemetery near the Yellow Line and the Shijaiya-Tuffah area of Gaza City, deploying rabbis and dental experts with specialized teams. Israeli officials indicated the operation could take days and have released more detail than previous searches. Israel's Cabinet considered opening the Rafah crossing with Egypt, contingent on the completion of the operation and an agreement with the United States to open the crossing. Family members have urged Israel not to advance the ceasefire's second phase until Gvili's remains are returned.
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